Shadow Prove, Murder Detective?
by Dreamflight4798
Summary: Contestants on a reality TV show have been turning up dead in their apartments. The Police have a prime suspect-Shadow Prove. Did he do it?
1. News Report

**Vexos Fic! This has nothing to do with the anime aside from the characters.**

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own are the plot and OC's.**

* * *

"We interrupt this evening's normal broadcast to bring you news from the Vestal Planetary Police Force," the announcer on the TV said.

"Oh come on!" Shadow cried. "Seriously, who cares? Just get back to the show already!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to listen," Mylene snapped. Shadow stuck his tongue out at her.

"We regret to inform you that last night's contestant on the popular reality show, 'Vestroia', was found dead in her apartment this morning," the Officer said stiffly.

Shadow yawned pointedly, earning a smack on the side of his face from Volt.

"This is the sixth death of its kind. The force now believes that it is no coincidence, and is now searching for the Murderer. Any information or help you can provide is appreciated. Good night."

The Officer's picture vanished to be replaced by the show that had been previously running. It was in that second that the phone rang. Shadow heard Gus answer it. He was surprised when Gus stuck his head through the doorway and held it out to him.

Grumpily, Shadow took the phone, walked out of the room and said, "What?"

"That's not how you address an Officer, Mr. Prove," came a brisk voice on the other end.

"Chaze! How are you man? Everything cool?"

"We need you to come down to the station," Chaze answered. "Tonight. No questions asked. If you don't, we'll have to arrest you."

"Simmer down, dude," Shadow said, yawning. "If I had a penny for every time you guys were gonna 'arrest' me, I'd be richer than His Royal Majesty Hydron."

"Just get down here."

There was a click, and the phone went dead. Shadow tossed it, and it landed on the counter with a loud "slam!"

"Chaze needs me," he called to the others as he pulled on his steel boots and trench coat.

"What did you do?" Volt asked.

Shadow shrugged, then pulled open the door and slammed it shut.


	2. Interrogation

"Tone down the light," Shadow complained as the bright lamp blinded him. The officer opposite him gave no response, just sat on the steel chair opposite him.

"I have a few questions for you, Mr. Prove," she said sharply. "Answer them honestly."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

"Where were you last night at 11:52?"

"Seeing if I could climb on the roof."

"Have you been anywhere near Roak Street in the past month?"

"Where is that?"

The officer leaned forward.

"If you're not going to be cooperative, Mr. Prove-"

"I know you're trying to get answers," he interrupted. "Been through this at least twelve times. The chair is a lie detector. Look at my charts and you'll see that I'm not a liar. I want to know the truth about why I'm here."

The officer weighed his words carefully. Shadow waited, scraping his long nails against the metal armrest on his chair. She pulled out a folder and looked through it, then selected a photograph to give him.

"That is Liun. He was the first to turn up dead in his apartment. He was a contestant on 'Vestroia' the day before."

"Never seen him before," Shadow said tossing the paper back at her. She barely caught it.

"Well, you are considered the prime suspect for Murderer."

"WHAT!"

Shadow's roar of fury was so loud that the force of it left an unnatural echo.

"WHY?" he demanded, slamming both fists on the table, upsetting the lamp.

Shaken, the Officer stuttered, "You have a record. You killed a boy when you were thirteen."

"In self defense!" Shadow yelled. "Look at my file! I am legally insane! I am medically half-insane! I can't be charged with crimes!"

"Relax Mr. Prove-"

"That's okay Ina, I can take it from here."

Shadow whirled and saw Chaze walking in. Almost immediately, he relaxed. Ina looked relived and left.

"Been a while since you set off fireworks like that at an officer," Chaze said.

"Not my fault," Shadow protested. Chaze held his hands up in surrender.

"Anyway, Ina's just trying to do her job. She isn't familiar with you yet."

"Newb."

Chaze gave the surrender sign again.

"I'm not here to attack you," Chase said. "I want to have you help us. My superiors agree with me, and we want you to

track down the killer."

"Why me?" Shadow asked. "According to her, I am one."

"You see the world differently. Notice things no one else does."

"What's in it for me?"

Chaze sighed.


	3. Crime Scene

Shadow sat at the café, trying to ignore Ina, who was sipping at her drink. They were waiting for Chaze to arrive, and Shadow was just about fed up with trying to be patient. He stood up, walked around the table, then sat down.

"Stop doing that," Ina whispered. "We're undercover."

"Whatever."

Chaze took another six minutes to arrive, and by that time, Shadow was steaming. When he asked what had taken so long, Chaze changed the topic.

"Doesn't your doctor give you money monthly so you can afford that prescription medication of yours? The one that calms you down?"

Shadow flipped his hand impatiently.

"That's what we use to pay the rent. But that's not important. What took so long?!"

"Securing permission to bring a civilian onto the crime scene," he answered, sitting at the café table.

"I thought you fixed that. I'm technically the murder investigator or something."

"You're only doing this so we let you off the hook as both prime suspect and for stealing that car last week."

Shadow rolled his eyes. Who was he to just leave a nice car just _sitting_ there? With the keys in the ignition, no less. And who cared about _speed limits_ or _seat belts_? As far as he was concerned, the owner was just asking for it to be taken.

"Let's move in," Ina said, rising and heading toward the apartment complex. Shadow followed her, oblivious to Chaze's sighs.

Apartment 46-0 had belonged to Liun. Shadow insisted on being 100% alone. It was really the only way he could concentrate. But both Police Officers wanted to be with him at all times. In the end, Chaze waited outside and kept away anyone else coming to investigate while Ina would stand next to the door and just watch him work. No nothing, just watching.

Shadow walked straight to the taped area that displayed where the body fell. He ran his hand over the smooth floor, coming up with a single hair. He cocked his head and squinted at it. Red. But while it was the right color, the end was singed and there was the faintest trace of a familiar smell on it.

Electrical fire. Shadow knew the hair had been burned using electricity because, before Hydron threw the Vexos out of the palace, he had stuck a fork into the electrical socket and lit his hair, and subsequently, the carpet on fire. The smell of this burned hair, and his own burned hair was identical. It even tasted the same.

Further search gave nothing but another hair. It was a strange color: yellowish but very white at the same time. Not a Vestal hair color. One of the annoying members of the Resistence, the small one, had similar color.

But humans couldn't get on Vestal, so a human murderer wasn't possible. Shadow shook his head, his brain aching from this much conscious thought. Normally, he let someone else do all the thinking, and he got to do the supposedly "weird stuff".

"Hey, Ina!"

"Officer Kert to you!"

"How did Liun die?"

"The autopsy said a blood vessel burst in his brain. The cause was unknown."

Shadow felt like his brain might just follow Liun's example, but he forced himself to focus. It was so much easier when Mylene did it all, and he got to be the idiot.

Looking back at the white/yellow hair, he decided to ignore Ina's stare and very deliberately put it in his mouth, making sure to spit it back out.

The taste was weird. It had a metallic tang to the flavor that suggested electricity ran through it. Shadow stood up and walked out into the hall where Chaze was waiting.


	4. The Informer

Shadow scanned the streets, trying to ignore Ina's suspicious glare. So far, he had walked roughly four miles, and still couldn't find who he was looking for. It didn't help he was on the run from the Police, and there was an officer directly behind him.

Shadow suddenly stopped walking. Ina froze, whipping her head around rapidly. Shadow motioned for her to stay put, then walked into an apparently empty alleyway. He stopped again, then whipped out his arm and seized the young boy hiding under the stacks of old garbage.

"Hey, Slatch."

The green haired Vestal scowled at him and tried to wrench his arm free of Shadow's grip. Shadow dug his nails in for good measure. Ina entered the alley, and Slatch immediately began to panic, thrashing powerfully. Shadow dragged him to the wall and slammed him against it.

"Chill, dude! She's tame!"

"You're going to arrest me," Slatch sputtered. "I can't go to jail, I can't!"

"Chill," Shadow repeated. He let go of Slatch's arm, but trapped him in the alley corner. "I just wanna get info outta you. Like any weirdos that've been around here. 'Specially anyone with blonde hair."

Internally, Shadow was very proud that he had identified the mysterious hair color and thought of finding his old buddy, Slatch, completely on his own. Granted, his head was still throbbing from so much recent thinking, but it was better than having to be put in jail. Probably with a white jacket, too.

"Blonde?" Slatch repeated. "Yeah, I saw one. Only one. I just can't quite remember..."

Shadow grabbed him around the throat, then lifted him and slammed him into the back wall of the alley. Ina gasped.

"That help your memory? 'Cuz I can do this all day, 'till I get what I need from ya."

Slatch swallowed hard, obviously remembering the times Shadow had beaten him. He nodded, and Shadow lowered him to the ground and released him. Slatch coughed a few times before continuing.

"It was a lady," he babbled. "Long blonde hair, pulled up in a ponytail. Didn't see her face, but she was wearing all white. And her clothes pattern was unfamiliar. Bought off the intergalactic market, I guess. She walked into one of the apartments, and never came out. Next day, she showed up here again. Same thing, different apartment."

Shadow looked at Ina.

"Write that down. I've used up my memory for today, and I don't want to think more than I have to."

Ina scowled, but did as he asked. Shadow turned back, then crouched to Slatch's eye level.

"You did good," he said. "Next time, don't make me hurt you again. It ruins my reputation with the newb cops."

"What do we do now?" Ina asked scathingly as they walked away. Shadow cocked his head and pretended to think about it; there was no room left for any more actual thought.

"You and Chaze go over evidence and I go home and sleep. My head is killing me."

"If only," Ina whispered. Shadow let her get away with it. This time.


End file.
